Wristcutters: A Love Story
by Flika
Summary: Have you ever wondered what happens to you when you take your own life. It's not what you may think. Based off the movie. Sasunaru. Mention of SasuKar


**_Wristcutters: A Love Story_**

* * *

><p><strong>Hi guys, I would like to start off by say<br>****_NONE OF THIS WAS MY IDEA!_  
>My family and I were going to watch some really stupid movie a few weeks ago that Netflix had sent us. We didn't know what the hell it was but it was something my uncle ordered because it had subtitles and pretty much everyone in my family is hard of hear but me (thank god I'm not blood related) so every movie we get needs to have subtitles. Anyways, in the preview we saw an add for this movie called 'Wristcutters: A Love Story' and we all agreed it looked good. When the movie we were going to watch started, we hated it. The subtitles wouldn't work right and it was just terrible, so ten minutes later, we're watching 'Wristcutters' on instant. A I must say. I feel in love.<strong>

**Again, this story is not my idea. I copied it from the movie, pretty much word for word, but that's because I loved it so much I though some other people would too. I do suggest, if you haven't seen this movie, go watch it. Not right after you read this though because I'm giving the whole thing away. Wait a week or two to let yourself forget and then go watch it.**

**Also as a side note, if you like weird movies, god see 'Rubber' by Quentin Dupieux. Crazy! I also recomend seeing 'Moving McAllister' by Andrew Black. Funny as hell.**

**So...**

**:DISCLAIMERS:**

**WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY BELONGS TO GORAN DUKIC & ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO NARUTO  
>NONE OF WHICH I OWN!<strong>

**NOTHING!**

* * *

><p>Sasuke lied there, shirt stained and eyes red, looking up at the ceiling, and listening to the white noise emitting from the old record player that was at the time spinning but not playing any song. He really didn't care today. Today he couldn't have given a shit about the record he was damaging or the empty soda cup that was sticking out from his pillow. He just didn't care, because after today, it wouldn't matter.<p>

Nothing would matter.

He turned to his side to face the spinning record, Sasuke stared at it with blank eyes. He remembered loving that record growing up, loving it was a child, a teenager, a young adult, and even last week. He use to love a cretin song from that record, but right now he couldn't remember the name of it, just where to place the needle.

He picked up the needle, stopping the buzzing noise that was playing through the speakers. He positioned the needle in a new spot, one closer to the beginning of the track, and placed the needle down just right. Sound crackled through the accent speaker before a soft melody of a guitar flowed through the room, filling into every knack and cranny, evolving his room with music.

He rolled out of bed, using the wall of the closet to pull him up. He took one step away from his bed, walking over piles of clothes and trash. He scanned the room, clothing falling out of draws and littering every flat surface.

He grabbed the hem and looked down at his stain shirt, grimacing at the brown stain near the neck. What the hell was that? He let go to scan his room once more for clean clothes. None.

With out much complaint, Sasuke started picking up a pile of pants and other clothes from the floor to wash. He found clothing in the oddest places, in desk draws, on lamps, and in the tub of the connected bath.

After clearing out his clothes he retrieved a garbage bag that he filled with empty cans and other thrash from around the room. He organized the book shelf and made his bed, wiped down the desk and standing lamp in the middle of the room and even went as far as cleaning the cheap picture he had on the wall for decoration. Watered the dying plants he had never even liked all that much and vacuumed for the first time in months.

Everything was clean, perfectly spotless, and in it's rightful place.

Why? Because today was the day, and everything should be right on this day.

He dressed in one of his nicer off white button up shirts and a pair of clean jeans. Combing his fingers through his thick black hair, Sasuke took a look around the room. He couldn't remember a time when his room was this clean. This spotless. Looking out the blinds of the window he stood next to, Sasuke thought that it looked nice outside. It was done now and he deemed it was time.

He took a few steps back to enter his small bathroom, took a good look into the mirror, and staring at his reflection. Without looking at what he was doing, Sasuke started the water and let it fill up in the stopped sink. His hand slid across the surface of the sink until his fingers came in contact with something cold, thin, and metal, and grasped it firmly in his hand. Slowly he slid it over his wrist and lower arm, ignoring the pain he felt. He repeated his actions several times, feeling himself get a little dizzier with every movement. The sound of water dripping and small splashes, accompanied by his heavy breathing and the faint sound of music from the next room was the only sound.

He looked at himself in the mirror, skin paler then it ever was and dark, tired shadows under his dreadful eyes. He looked down into the sink for the first time, seeing the over flowing blood that filled it. He felt dizzy at both the sight and fact that he was still losing blood. He was unable to keep his footing and was unable to keep himself from falling over.

Lying there on the cold tile floor, his blood spilling quickly and gathering around his abused arms. It hurt like fucking hell, and he was about to pass out from the pain.

And then he saw it. A little ball of dust gathered in the corner of the room.

He had wanted the house to be clean on this day.

Damn.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

_I think she cried at my funeral._

_I don't mean to brag about it or anything, but I'm pretty sure she did._

_Sometimes I can picture her, talkin' about me to some guy she fills really close to. About how they lowered me into the grave all pathetic and shriveled up, like a melted chocolate bar or something. About how he never actually got a chance, and then the guy fucks her real nice, a fuck that's all about making her feel better._

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

Sasuke pulled the old fashion handle, resulting in the toilet to flush. He readjusted his pants and the apron he had to wear, and stared at the reflective material that disfigured him and was taped to the wall. Above it was a duel yellow , also held up by thick black tape, that 'WASH YOUR HANDS' with more, smaller text above and under that were too small to read properly. Sasuke stared at the waving image of himself for only a second long before turning on the old faucet to the dingy sink and began cleaning his hands as throughout as he could.

He adjusted the white, rag head band around his head, red words scrolled around the center, and made sure it didn't all in his eyes.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

_Soon after I died I got a job __here at the Cosma Pizza. It's not a great job but it will do for a while. The manager was cool enough to hook me up with a place to live too. With this Australian guy, Jugo._

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"Did it again Sasuke." Jugo, a rather big and tall guy said as he stormed out of the bath room and into Sasuke's, staring at Sasuke who was lying on his cheap bed, reading a book he had read one too many times before.

"Did what?" He asked while turning away from his boring book to give Jugo a blank look.

"Don't play dumb," Jugo said angrily. "You promised. If you're going to live in this apartment, you have to sit while you piss." He explained with all seriousness.

Sasuke had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I forgot."

"How in the world do you forget something like that? Huh?"

Sasuke just shrugged, wanting to go back to his book but knowing the large man confronting him would let him do so any time soon. He ignored Judo's marathon of 'sit, sit, sit" until the man had finally sighed, realizing he wouldn't get his point across, what ever his point may have been, and left the room sulking.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

_Who could think of a better punishment really?_

_Everything's the same here, it's just…a little worse._

_I've though about suicide again, but I haven't tried it. I don't want to end up in a bigger shit hole then this one._

_Yeah, I was missing Karin. I even had a feeling that this whole suicide thing just made me miss her and love her even more. But, who knows._

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"Maybe you just need a drink." The older bartender suggested while placing a beer bottle on the bar Sasuke was sitting at. He took it without a word and right away began drinking. Loud music that he didn't care for was playing and there was an echo of pull balls being hit. He looked around the bar, not knowing what to expect. He never really gone out before now.

Everything was dull with colors of faded brown and gray, depressing. The people sitting around looked just as sullen.

"Hi," A soft famine voice said from beside him. He whipped around to the second person to talk to that night and was met with a young blond whose hair feel over one of her eyes. "Listen, my friend Temari and I," She said gesturing to another blond girl sitting at a small table. "We play this game where we try and guess how people off themselves. We were just guessing about you. How you do it?" she finally asked and stared Sasuke down, waiting for an answer.

He took a quick gulp of his drink before placing it down and pulling his sleeves up a little to show Ino his wrist. She attempted to smile bitterly and turned back to her friend and called out.

"Three points for me." Temari gave her an un-amused look.

"That's an extremely rude question to ask." Sasuke stated and gained Ino's attention once again. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he had been lonely since he arrived here and a conversation, be it with a stranger, was what he really needed.

"Precisely," Ino said sadly. Her eye was squinted slightly, as if she wanted to cry, but didn't. She shook her head quickly and gave a snap of her tongue. "That's what the game is all about."

As she started to walk away, Sasuke began to mutter to himself, not realizing what he had said out loud.

"What about you?"

Ino stopped, spun around, making her hair fly with the movement, and in a sweet voice replied. "Me?"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

In a nice kitchen were sweet craved cherry cabinets, stainless and free of food. Light shone through the small window above the stove, leading a path down wards to a sight that would be found later that day. The stove was running, door opened, and a young blond girl lied there, not moving an inch. On the small kitchen table was a note.

'_Are you sorry now?_'

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

"No, no, no, no." Sasuke said quickly, putting down his beer and pointing at man sitting at the bar. He was now seated with the two blondes' and as much as he hated to admit it, their little sick game was kind of fun. "Look at him, he can't step. It was defiantly drowning."

"No, I'm telling you," Ino shook her head quickly and pointed to her cheek. "Look at the blue-ish face. It has to be gas."

As both Ino and Sasuke shook their heads at one another's ideas, Temari leaned over the table. "Go over their and ask him." She said towards Sasuke. He started to get up until he saw the man staring at him in a way that freaked Sasuke out a little and retook his seat.

"I don't know about this one, he seems…ill-humored."

Suddenly there was a light whack to his arm and he turned around to see a male around his age with bleach blond, almost white hair.

"Why don't you try guessing me?" He offered, a little drunken. When the girls didn't answer, the guy picked up his chair and moved to sit at the table with them. "I bet you girls a beer you won't guess." He said cockily, with a heavy Russian ascent as he eyed both of the girl chests.

Temari gave him a look before turning to the door, "Oh, Ino, look whose here." She said pointing with her beer to a man who had just walked in. Ino made an excited noise before getting up with Temari, murmuring that she would be back before leaving.

"I'll tell you something," The guy across from him said as he lit a hand rolled cigarette. "When a girl says she'll be right back, write her off right then." Sasuke popped a brow at the guy for his assumptions. He wasn't attempting to get laid, if that's what he was assuming. "They always end up leaving with some retarded dumb guy."

Sasuke agreed with the statement and agreed even more when he saw Ino wave to him as she and Temari left with a few guys. It wasn't easy to find a good girl anymore, even less now that he was here.

He took another side of his beer as the guy across from him began packing a few papers with tobacco from a zip lock bag.

"So, what was it?"

"What was what?"

"How did you, you know…" He paused, trying to remember how Ino had put it. "Off yourself?"

"Aw, well…"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

He stood in the front of a stage, sweat beading down his face from the lights above him. Behind him a band was playing and with his heavy ascent, he sung into the mic he had. When the song was over, he was met with criticism from his small audience.

"You suck."  
>"Really suck."<p>

"Get off the stage."

He looked out at the small pathetic crowd he had and thought about his life. Pathetic it was too.

"Fuck it all." He held his beer bottle out in a non-cheer and gulped down half of it before pouring the rest onto the electric guitar he had strapped to his body.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"You off with a guitar." Sasuke repeated a little skeptically.

"Hell yeah. On stage and everything. Iggy Pop, he almost came to see that gig."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

Sasuke washed his hands, glaring at the wannabe mirror and bright yellow paper that was always there to remind him to wash. He dried his hands and bunched up the soiled paper towels and threw them away.

Exciting the bathroom with a sigh. Immediately going back to the pizza that was waiting to be cut. He was distracted with his own thoughts, and when he placed the cutter to the pizza, pressed hard enough for the whole thing to tip over and fall to the ground. He looked around to see if anyone had seen and when he deemed it safe he quickly gather the pizza off the floor and put it back on the tray. He took a cut slice and placed it on a paper plate. He didn't the big idea, it wasn't like it could kill someone to eat it.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"No way." Sasuke said as he split the balls on the pull table. He had been talking with Suigetsu, the guitar guy, ever since the girls had left. They had exchanged small stories of their deaths, and why they did it, what they were doing now, and where they were staying. But now Sasuke was sure Suigetsu was shitting him.

"Yes way," Suigetsu circled the table looking for a good shot. "I live with my parents and my kid brother, Mangetsu"

"You're fucking with me." Sasuke accused.

"I'm not fuckin' with you." Suigetsu lined up his stick with the balls and got ready for his shot.

"I've never heard of a whole family here before." And it was true. A whole family committing suicide was unheard of unless they came from some crazy cult, and he had yet to meet anyone from a cult.

"My mom," He took his shot and landed his ball into the pocket. "She off because she was missing Russia so much. And my father, he just didn't feel like going on without her." Another shot, another pocket. "But, what really did it for him was my little brother turning out to be gay."

"Your kid brother, Mangetsu, killed himself too?"

"I guess it was in his genes."

Sasuke took a beep breath and whipped away sweat from his brow. "That's crazy."

Suigetsu nodded in agreement before continuing. "When Mangetsu arrived here, my father – a man who never cried, even after dropping a ten pound sledge hammer on his foot – hugged Mangetsu, cried like a baby. No shit."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"We have to kill those germs." Suigetsu's father, a shriveled and elderly man, said while Suigetsu's mother, an older, hefty woman, served soup. The table was in full conversation, something that Sasuke hasn't experienced in a long time.

"We have an old saying in Russia. 'How much you eat, is how much you are.'" She poured Sasuke another laid of soup even when he tried to protest. "My grandfather, before he hired anyone, he would feed them a free meal. The ones that ate the most are the ones he would hire. Because those-"

"Those were the best workers. Yes mum." Mangetsu said in his seat beside Sasuke. He looked very similar to his brother, pale, bleached hair, and light colored eyes. He was the only on in the family that didn't have a heavy ascent, and Sasuke was able to make him out the best.

"Are you trying to hire me or something?" He said jokingly to Mrs. Hoozuki as she finished pouring the soup. She ruffled his hair light heartily and went to her own food.

"Well, why not doing the dishes after dinner?" Mangetsu asked him. "You know, dish washing was Suigetsu's first job in America."

Suigetsu groaned and started talking through a full mouth of food. "I did a lot of shit. The best thing I ever did though was waiting tables."

"I thought it was the band thing." Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a bite of the bland looking food in front of him.

"I wish I could have been there for you Suigetsu." Mrs. Hoozuki grasped her eldest son's hand and squeezed reassuringly. She turned to Sasuke. "You see, we were always together, first in Russia, then in America. When my husband and I left the boys alone…they just couldn't-" She began crying, to which Suigetsu started kissing her forehead lovingly and trying to stop the cold tears falling from her eyes. It was a sight Sasuke never saw much, even when he was alive.

"Where are you from Sasuke?" Mr. Hoozuki asked.

"Uh, New Jersey." Sasuke said once he realized he had been staring.

"Ah. Well, what about your parents."

Sasuke stiffened slightly and stuttered. "It's…it's been a while. Basically at the end I hadn't talk to them…they didn't talk to each other. It was j-just."

"A shame." Mrs. Hoozuki said hugging her son closer to her.

"Not all families are as lucky as we are. All of us being together. Za vashe zdorovye." He held up his glass and Sasuke followed as everyone tapped their drinks together.

Za vashe zdorovye.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

After dinner Suigetsu sat with his parents watching an old black and white TV. Sasuke though, was in the small kitchen, helping Mangetsu with the dishes. He would wash, and Sasuke would dry.

"So…" Sasuke said, not liking the silence. "You're gay?"

"Yeah, does that bother you?"

"No, no. I was with a girl before I, well you know, but I had done a few things with a guy before that."

"You know, I would have been here along time ago if it wasn't for Suigetsu."

Sasuke quirked and eyebrow but gestured for him to continue.

"I was ten, we had these soccer finals, and I was the goalie for my school."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"Suigetsu. Suigetsu!" He yelled over the rhythm of the guitar playing from the room across the hall. He yelled the name a few more times before the music actually stopped and opened.

"Can't you see I'm jammin'" Suigetsu stopped once he saw his little brother, standing on the table, with a jump rope hanging from the ceiling fan and tied around his neck.

"How is it possible?" Mangetsu cried. "How, that the better team could lose? The ball it just wouldn't go in, and…they got into the finals. So what's the point of living when life is so unfair? Just tell me this because you are the smartest person I know. Tell me Suigetsu!" The older of the two pulled a cigarette out from his baggy paints and lit it. "If you don't give me one good reason for living, and tell me the meaning of life, I' gonna do it. I will!"

Suigetsu stared at his younger brother for a few moments before stating calmly. "Get off the table."

Mangetsu shook his head. "Tell me first."

"Step off of the table and I'll tell you."

Slowly but surely, Mangetsu removed the rope from his neck and stepped down from the table. He went to his brother, waiting to get his answer but was smacked across the face. Hard.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"He just smacked you?" Sasuke asked with disbelief.

"Yeah. I don't know what he was trying to prove by it, but it work fine up until a couple of months ago."

Mangetsu went back to washing the dishes he had forgotten. From the corner of Sasuke's eye, he saw Suigetsu passed out asleep, his mother lying a blanket over his limp body.

"When I see you all like this it makes me miss my own parents. Even though most of the time they just kind of freak me out."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

A few weeks passed, weeks of going out with Suigetsu and getting drunk. Weeks of late nights with rolled cigarettes and dirty bars. And worst of all, weeks of thinking of his old life with Karin.

As he lied in bed, he could practically hear their old conversations. About living together, being together, and the amount of fun they had with each other. How much they loved each other.

It had also been the weeks that build his and Suigetsu's friendship. He had told Suigetsu all about Karin, and in return Suigetsu attempted to get him laid.

_As they reached __Suigetsu's shitty old car he started again. "Tonight when we go out, you need to promise me-" _

"_No, no, no, no. Suigetsu I'm not going out tonight, or any other night." _

_Suigetsu__ stopped unlocking the car. "Why?"_

"_It makes me depress to go out."_

_Sasuke stared at his friend and he stared back at Sasuke. "So what you gonna do. Kill yourself?"_

"…_I don't know. Maybe."_

"_As if anything could make you happy."_

Karin had made him happy, because she loved him. More so then the women and men Sasuke had ever been with before. But Suigetsu was right. What was he going to do? Killing himself again, that wouldn't make him happy. That wouldn't take him back.

Without a knock or warning, his bedroom door opened and Jugo stomped into the room. "You ate the last of my Scottish cheese." Sasuke didn't answer, making Jugo madder. "Sasuke, did you eat my Scottish cheese?"

"Calm down Jugo. I'll buy you some Scottish cheese."

"That's not the point! I was planning to have some right now!"

Sasuke sighed; he was not in the mood for this. "Don't you have a plan B or something-"

"You do this all the time!" Jugo threw the empty container of cheese on the floor by Sasuke's bed.

"Alright! Alright!" Sasuke yelled back as he rolled out of his bed. "I'll go get some more Scottish cheese."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

Sasuke opened the freezer and picked a random container from the bunch, checked the date, and threw it uncaringly into the little basket he had. Closing the freezer door, Sasuke was heady to leave when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Shino?" He asked at the mostly familiar face with a large, new scar running up the side. Shino held hid hand out and Sasuke didn't hesitate to shake it.

"I was hoping we run into each other soon."

"What…what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked as they separated.

Shino shrugged. "The same as everyone else. Only it got a little something to do with you."

"Oh yeah? You come all the way here to get the two-hundred dollars I owe you?"

"Haha, you always were a joker." He said non-amusedly. He pointed at Sasuke to get his point across. "You know how people say suicides happen in three? Well, there's something to that. Hey is this cheese any good?" He said grabbing the container from Sasuke basket and looking it over.

"Um, my roommate likes it but-"

"You know, when people start offing themselves around you, you start asking yourself 'what makes you so different?', 'what's keeping me alive?'. And then it hit me," He hit himself with the cheese before tossing it back at Sasuke's basket. "Like a mallet. I don't have the answer…to much sodium. But I think it was Karin's suicide that really hit me."

That had gained Sasuke's attention. Karin…was here?

"Karin's what?"

"Yeah, Karin. She off herself about a month after you. I thought you would have known that."

"No," Sasuke's mind was racing. Karin, Karin, Karin, Karin! She died. She off herself. She was here!

Before he really knew it, Sasuke was running out the store, basket forgotten on the ground as he ran through the doors.

"Hey, I still want that two-hundred you owe me!"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"So, I'm saying I got a pretty good idea she's not in the city." Sasuke said while packing a duffle bag. Suigetsu was sitting on a fold out chair while drinking a beer watching as Sasuke paced back and forth. "Call it intuition, or whatever. Worst cause scenario, we just take a ride right?"

Suigetsu almost chocked on his beer. "We?"

The two friends stared each other down until Sasuke sighed. "Alright then."

As Sasuke tried to finish packing Suigetsu shot up and stopped him. "Let me get this. Since you got here how many times have you gotten laid?"

"Why?"

"Just a question."

Sasuke sighed, averting his eyes and hoped that Suigetsu would step down. "Like really got laid, for real? Suigetsu nodded, giving him a 'duh' look. "None, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, your sperm count is so fucking high you think you're having an out of body experience that no body in the fucking universe knows."

"Suigetsu," Sasuke pushed pass him to grab his coat off the wall. "Sperm count, outer body experiences, I mean really? Listen man just let me borrow the car, you won't have to do anything."

"Why you so touchy all of a sudden. All I said was that it not good enough reason for me to go." Suigetsu defended himself.

Sasuke sighed, zipping up his bag. "You know what, forget Karin, I got another reason for you to go."

Suigetsu gave him an unbelievable look before shrugging. "Give it shot."

"You got anything better to do?"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

Driving down a nearly empty highway road, tires squealing, as they drove out of town and into a nearly disserted landscape. As they drove out of town, Sasuke leaned out the window to look at his surrounding properly. It was his first time out of the city, and seeing as how Suigetsu was hanging his head out the window, despite the fact that he was driving, it must have been his first time too.

They drove towards the mountains, having to pass high drops and tunnels on the way.

"So, what's the big deal?" Sasuke said as they excited the dark tunnel. "The headlights don't work."

Suigetsu shook his head and took a long drag of his cigarette. "You won't believe how many times I've tried to get them fixed."

Sasuke stared at his friend's profile, a little peeved. "You tell me this now. This means we can't drive at night; at all." He said sighing. "Well just stop somewhere for the night and get it fixed then. It's on me, I'll pay for it."

"If you insist," Suigetsu said as Sasuke took a gulp of his beer. Seeing so he spoke up again. "But I bet you a beer it can't be fixed."

"Let's get music." Putting down his beer Sasuke grabbed a small plastic box of cassette tapes. The car had no radio of it's own but there was an old radio seated between the two front seats. Sasuke looked at the old cassette tapes and scanned the names, not knowing a single one. Who even had cassette tapes. "What are these, they work right?" he was about to take out a tape when he lost his grip on the box and the tapes fell to the floor. He leaned down as far as he could, his hands blindly searching and coming up empty. The tapes must have fallen under the seat.

"Oh shit." Suigetsu muttered beside him. Sasuke looked to him curiously.

"What?"

"Anything that falls under that seat, forget about it."

"Is there a hole or something?" He asked, feeling his hand around the bottom of his seat trying to find it.

"Yeah." Suigetsu said before shaking his head. "No…well kinds'. More like, I guess you say black hole. Or, a – a Bermuda Triangle. You know, things just, uh, disappear."

Sasuke stared at him like he was crazy before attempting to look under his seat. He couldn't see a 'black hole' as Suigetsu had put it, but he did find one tape that had survived. He held it up to Suigetsu questioning; only receiving a disgusted look and small head shake.

"It's not very good."

"What is it?" Before even getting an answer, Sasuke started putting the tape in the player.

"It's my old band. Had it in my pocket when I off." Suigetsu unzipped his coat, deciding it was too hot outside for one and instructed Sasuke to hold the wheel while he stripped. The music started and Suigetsu retook the wheel, scrunching his nose. "Even worse than I remembered."

"What are you talking about? I like it."

'_When there's a trap set up for you,_

The day went by rather fast.

_In every corner of this town_

They replayed the song through their drive, seeing as how they both agreed it could be listened to.

_And so you learn the only way to go is underground_

Had a few beers and stopped for burgers._  
>When there's a trap set up for you<em>

Night was quickly on its way._  
>In every corner of your room<em>

Lucky, during the evening a mechanic shop was spotted up ahead._  
>And so you learn the only way to go is through the roof<em>_'_

"Sasori's car shop." Suigetsu read aloud as the drove past a piece of wood with the name taped to it.

"Perfect timing, huh?"

"I bet you a beer they can't fix it."

"Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're on man."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

A young boy in his late teens and early twenties leaned over the engine of the car. The hood was popped open and he was careful not to hit his head as he pulled a piece out of the car.

"Ok, un, it's broken. B-but I'm not sure what it is that's wrong." He stuttered as he held the piece he had just removed. "But Sasori, Sasori is my boss, un. And he's an absolute genius, and he'll get this fixed for you." He pushed the car part into Sasuke's hand before awkwardly running off to the door.

Suigetsu looked out the garage door, seeing the same black taxi car drive by yet again. He glared out the door as the taxi turned and drove by them again. He nudged Sasuke's arm and motioned for the car outside. "You see that? He's been movin' back and forth since we got here. That's been five turns already."

"He's a taxi cab, Suigetsu." Sasuke said simply, ignoring the cab in favor of their car.

"Yeah. Who the fuck would need a taxi here?"

"I - I don't know. What are you trying to say?"

"Look at him." Sasuke looked at the car and shrugged. "He's Aruba."

"What, you never seen an Aruban taxi driver before?"

"Well sure I did." He looked Sasuke right in the eye and waved his finger in a wiper movement. "But not since I off. Connect the dots, Aruba, suicide, doesn't that freak you out? Even a little bit?"

"No man," Sasuke answered back quickly, shaking his head. "You sound like some fuckin' home land security agent. Have you forgotten where we are? He's dead, we're dead, everyone's dead. He's not gonna try anything. No one give's a shit here. We're all immigrants now." Sasuke explained while looking at Suigetsu a little put out.

"Then why is he staring at me like that?" Suigetsu shot back immediately, staring at the cab driver that stared back at him.

"'Cause you're staring at him like you need a fucking taxi cab. Stop looking at him and hell go away." Sasuke left Suigetsu at the door, walking back to the car to wait for the mechanics. Suigetsu gave the cab one last look before entering the shop again, being met with the young boy from earlier pushing a wheel chair that held an older redhead man.

"Oh shit, looks like we'll gonna be sleeping here tonight."

"What do we got here?" The man asked as he was pushed up to the car. "Hey Deidara, why don't you go start this thing up." He instructed and the teen was already on his way to the seat. As the boy started the car up, the man set his hand on the hood, feeling the vibration of the engine.

"You need an exhaust system, vale got to be august, and listen to the fuel pipe in their…" He trailed off as he closed his eyes.

"No, no, no, no. We just wanted to get our headlights fixed." Sasuke started, but was quieted by Deidara as he shushed him.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

The bubbling hot tub was red with blood. On one end was an older red head man, the other a young blond boy. Their hands met in the middle, grasping each other tightly.

The sound of the door opening could be heard a little off ways. A woman's voice calling out into the background.

"Honey? Are you home? Honey?"

Just as the back door was opening, the two hands slipped apart, just like they had done many times before.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

Deidara stood there with the closest thing to a smile he could muster. He wanted to laugh and at the same time he wanted to cry as he looked at Sasori, sound a sleep and looking peaceful.

"He hasn't slept a wink since we got here." He felt the need to inform the two about his joy. He breathed loudly, a happy relieved sound and clapped his hands softly. "We'll fix the head lights by tomorrow."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

He threw his head back on the hard seat of the car, squinting when the bright light of the sun shone through his closed eyes. He was more uncomfortable then he had been in weeks.

Deciding that there was no possible way he would be able to sleep any longer, Sasuke sat up, ripped away the coat he had been using as a blanket, and went for Suigetsu's glove box. He opened the box to pull out Suigetsu's sunglasses. He was sure the other wouldn't mind. He unfolded the vintage glasses and attempted to put them on as the sun blinded him. He felt the glasses slip from his hands and he knew that they were gone. They had fallen into the black hole to never be seen again.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he fell back in his seat. Damn. Suigetsu stirred next to him. He sat up, pulling a cigarette out, placed it between his lips, and lit it.

"Damn shift stick," Suigetsu muttered as he readjusted himself in his seat. "This is the last time I sleep in the car." Sasuke groaned in agreement and closed his eyes, trying to block out the sun. Suigetsu released a stream of smoke. "Where's my shade?"

Sasuke sat up to give Suigetsu an apologetic look. "I, uh, I dropped them."

Suigetsu let out a frustrated noise and rested back in his seat. "Man, I told you to be careful 'bout that, man. God damn it."

"I know, sorry. I didn't mean to drop them but it's bright as shit Suigetsu."

Suigetsu let his head fall to the steering wheel as he fumed. Sasuke shook his head, opened the door to the car. "I gotta' take a piss." He said stepping out of the car and falling hard four feet down to the ground. Suigetsu raised a brow and crawled over the seats to see Sasuke lying on the dirt ground and his car suspended in the air by a fort lift.

"The hell." Sasuke growled, getting up despite his painful back. Sasori had parts of the head light in his hands as Deidara too more pieces apart.

"Mornin' boys." The mechanic said while looking over the parts. "Nothin' like a good night sleep." Sasuke stared in horror at the man as he jumbled the items in his arms. "Well, not fixed yet, but give me a few days and I'll get it working. Once and for all and forever."

"That's how he does it." The teen piped in. "Once and for all and forever."

Sasuke frowned at the two, turning back to the car.

"Looks like you owe me first beer of the day."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

"I told you man, no one can fix the headlights in this car."

They were on the road again, flying pass desert landscape at close to forty miles and hour. Suigetsu was steering with his knees as he rolled a smoke, licked it closed, and put it between his lips to smoke it. Beside him, Sasuke had fallen back asleep.

"Can't believe you lost my shades." Suigetsu said while blowing smoke to the half awake man next to him. Sasuke ignored him and tried going back to sleep. "Holy shit," Suigetsu muttered seeing a small ass in tight jeans, large faded orange hoodie, and short blond hair walking down the road. As he passed the person, they held out their hand with their thumb up. Hitch-hiker.

Suigetsu slammed on the breaks, causing the car to skid to a stop, and Sasuke to fly forward. "What the hell Suigetsu!" Sasuke cried as he put his hands out to stop him from hitting the dash board. Suigetsu though was already throwing the car in reverse.

He stopped next to a young boy, a year younger then him and Sasuke, and frowned. He had looked more like a woman from the back. Still, he had a good body. To be nice, he pointed to the back of the car. "Hop on in kid."

The blond bent down to the window, his big sunglasses blocking most of his face. "Were are you heading?"

"Uh, East-ish?" Sasuke asked Suigetsu while trying to remember which way they were heading.

"East-ish?" The boy repeated. "You guys don't have a clue where you're going do you."

"You must not have been here very long, have 'ya?" Suigetsu asked.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause if anyone here had a clue we wouldn't be here in first place."

"True." The boy stood full height and opened the back door of the car. "I am pretty new. Actually, I've hitch-hiking ever since I got here." He was now seated in the back with an old backpack in his lap.

"How come?" Sasuke asked, looking the boy down. He was short and lanky and was pretty tan for someone dead. The large sunglasses on his face hid his eyes but not the three scars he had on each check. For a moment Sasuke thought they were the cause of his death, but they were too old. His faded hoodie had a few little hole and rips and his pants were dirty with dust and sand. It was hard to say, but he must have been walking all day.

"I'm looking for the people in charge." He replied while rolling the window down and up until he was satisfied.

"People in charge?" Suigetsu repeated. The boy nodded and removed his sunglasses from his face to show blue eyes. Sasuke stared at him for a moment but was snapped out of it when Suigetsu put the car in drive. "Where do you think you are? Some kind of country club where you can just walk into the main office. Tell me please, when you still living, did you ever try looking for god?"

"No," The boy in the back seat said while opening a stick of gum. "But I didn't have a reason to back then." Sasuke was watching him as he stuck the gum into his mouth.

"Why? Sorry you off yourself, or change your mind?" Suigetsu asked while looking through the rearview mirror at the boy. "'Cause you know, if that's the cause then-"

"Suigetsu. Suigetsu, stop it." Sasuke said as he turned away back in his seat. "What's your name?"

"Naruto." The blond said. "What's your name?" He asked offering the two in the front seats a stick of gum.

"Sasuke," He said, taking the gum and popping it into his mouth. Peppermint. "Nice to meet you. Thanks." Suigetsu didn't offer a name but took the gum. "So why don't you like it here?"

"Are yo joking?" Naruto asked giving him a look. "Do you guys like it here?" They didn't answer, Sasuke looked away, and Suigetsu shrugged, but that was all the answer Naruto got. "Who the hell like being in a place where they can't even smile? It's hot as balls, everyone's an asshole. Na-uh, I just want to go home.

Sasuke didn't have a responds for that and for a little while longer they drove in silences.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

'CAMPING STORE ALMOST LIKE NEW' read the sign posted in the dirt.

Three set of feet laid out the opening of the tent. Three bodies lied close together in the tent as they discussed.

"I don't know." Suigetsu said at the end of the tent. Naruto squirmed a little between the twp before settling down.

"I like it." He offered, putting his arms behind his head to relax.

"Better than sleeping in the car." Sasuke added.

"Alright." Suigetsu agreed.

Sasuke pushed himself up and crawled out the tent. "I'll go get the cashier." Sasuke went in search for some one working, leaving Naruto and Suigetsu alone together in the tent.

To ease the silence, Naruto tried to make some sort of small talk. He pointed up to the little cut out of the tent.

"I like the window here-" He stopped once he felt a hand sliding over his sweatshirt.

"Do you want to test it out?" Suigetsu whispered into his ear.

Naruto stared at the older boy for a moment before sitting up. "I think I'm gonna go see how Sasuke's doing."

Outside the tent, Naruto could see Sasuke talking to the store owner. Beside the tent was a sign, the same sign with the store name. A smaller sigh was placed above the other one, this one about shoplifting. When the owner left Naruto grabbed the sign and hid it behind his back.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y . **

The shoplifting sign was ripped in two and was keeping alive a good fire that they had made. It was dark now and they were force to camp out.

Naruto stared up at the night sky. Nothing but blackness.

"I wonder if people who die normally end up with no stars." Sasuke and Suigetsu sat on the other side of the fire, watching Naruto who lied spread out in the sand. "I really miss the stars."

"You get use to it." Suigetsu said with a shrug.

Naruto flipped onto his stomach, pointing his lit cigarette at Suigetsu. "I don't want to get use to it." He stated firmly. "I want to go home. This guy that gave me a ride the other day, he told about this rumor about the people in charge, um, apparently they wear white outfits or something-"

"That's a pile of shit." Suigetsu cut him off, his face scrunched in disgust. "White outfits. He was just trying to get into your pants."

Sasuke stayed quite, watching an unreadable look pass over Naruto's face.

"No he wasn't." Naruto stated. "He said he thought I had a really strong cause."

"What makes you so special, if you don't mind me asking?"

"That I got here by mistake."

"Well we all got here by a mistake, one way or another. And believe me, you have as much of a chance in findin' your men in white, as he does in findin' his dead princess." He said, shifting his head at Sasuke who had still stayed out of the conversation.

"You don't know that." Naruto said frowning deeply. Suigetsu shook his head, making some sort of noise that was negative. "You don't know. I bet he find's her."

Sasuke tipped his beer at Naruto in thanks. "Yeah, besides I have a hunch that she' close by."

"Even if she is, I bet she found someone by now." Suigetsu said as he forced himself to his feet. "Probably some black guy that hung himself by his dick."

Sasuke glared at his friend as he walked away. "Wouldn't matter Suigetsu."

As Suigetsu drifted away from sight Sasuke turned back to Naruto, who had been quiet for the moment. He shook his head clear at the look the blond was giving him.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"You know…" Karin said as she strung colorful beads through a fishing wire as they sat on the beach. "If you were to ever cheat on me…" She turned around in Sasuke's lap to face him. "Make sure you do it someone really pretty." She held the beaded wire to Sasuke's wrist, deciding it had to be a few beads longer and went back to her creation.

Sasuke glared at the bracelet, not liking the light pink color that Karin was stringing along. "What the hell are you talking about? I wouldn't cheat on you."

"I know that baby." She kissed him. He kissed back.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Sasuke lazily opened his eyes. It was still dark but the dream he just had had fully awaken him. He opened his eyes completely and sat up, not enjoying the sound the tent floor made when he moved.

Worrying that he had woken up the others he checked beside him. Suigetsu was sound asleep at the end of the tent. In between the two of them was Naruto, on his side facing Sasuke and his thumb in his mouth.

He lied back down, facing Naruto this time. He looked cute with his thumb in his mouth, and at them same time Sasuke worried Sasuke. It was like a lost, scared little child.

After a few minutes Sasuke looked away, staring up at the tent's roof until he could fall back to sleep.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

It was late morning when they work up. The sun had shone through the light color tent and it wasn't possible to sleep after that.

It was left to Suigetsu to gather the tent, which he did rather lazily, while Sasuke got the pillows and Naruto made room in the trunk. Sasuke threw the pillow in the back seat and Suigetsu roughly threw the bunched up tent into the back of the car.

Naruto grabbed his beer that was resting on the car's roof. "Mind if I drive?" He asked already getting into the driver's seat. "I'll get us there in half the time." He explained.

"Get us where?" Suigetsu asked with his brows frowned.

Naruto pointed in the distance behind him, nothing but desert and mountains. "Over there."

"Oh, over there." He rolled his eyes but left Naruto to drive. He went for the front passenger seat but saw Sasuke was already seated. "I'm not sitting in the back." He stated, shaking his head.

Sasuke raised one of his brows. "Why not?"

"'Cause everyone knows the guy in the back doesn't have a cock." He said.

Sasuke stared at him with mild disbelief. "What?"

"That's a fact." Suigetsu insisted. "If the guy in the back seat had a cock he wouldn't be back there in the first place." He crossed his arms, looking at Sasuke to get his point across.

Naruto stifled a snicker from the driver's seat, shaking his head while popping his gum.

"Yeah well, I got a cock, man. So, I'm not…" Sasuke trailed off. He turned to Naruto. "Do you have a cock?"

"Yeah I have a cock." Naruto stated to Suigetsu. "A big fat one."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Naruto drove down the empty road, his right shoulder being cramped. Suigetsu had still refused to sit in the back and had decided to force himself onto the small console between Naruto and Sasuke, leaving no room up front. The old tires of the car squealed as they drove, but was a nice relief to the static coming from the radio. Sasuke glanced at Suigetsu, tired of the white noise that filled the car; he put in the little tape of Suigetsu's band.

The music played as they cruised down the endless road.

'_When there's a trap set up for you,_

"I'm looking for the people in charge." Naruto tried to explain to a man in a police helmet. The sky was darkening, but still light enough for them to see for the time being. "I'm here by mistake; I've been looking for awhile…"

Sasuke leaned on the hood of the car, staying quite as Naruto trailed off.

_In every corner of this room,_

Sasuke stopped a young man while Suigetsu was a little ways off using a payphone to call his mother.

"Her name is Karin, long red hair." He tried to explain, not getting through to the obvious foreign man. "This tall?" He said, laying his hand flat a few inches shorter then him. "No?"

_And so you learn the only way to go is underground,_

"I'm not sure what you're trying to do is completely legal." The officer stated, removing his glasses to look more intimidating.

"Yeah, but can't you-"

"Let me see some ID."

_When there's a trap set up for you,_

Suigetsu leaned against the car as he smoked. They were in a little trailer park now. He blocked out Naruto repeating his all too familiar story.

"…Trying to find the people in charge of this place because I've only been here for a couple of weeks and I'm here by mistake..."

He noticed that at every stop Sasuke was right at Naruto's side.

_In every corner of your room,_

"Did I show you, that thing?" Sasuke asked as he wrapped his arm around Naruto's. He started pulling the young man, semi unwilling, away from the cop. "Thanks officer but we..." He called back to the man, still not letting Naruto's arm go but halted to grab the back of fast-food the officer had taken from them.

_And so you learn the only way to go is through the roof,_

Naruto tosses a finished cigarette in the fire. It was dark now and they were forced to camp out since they had no headlights. The day had been a complete bust in his mind. A full day and still no answers about the people in charge, still no answers how to get home.

_Ooohoohoooh through the roof, underground,_

Suigetsu rolling a cigarette while steering with his knees. It wasn't much of an issue seeing as there went any other cars on the road to be aware of. He looked of the passenger seat, about to ask Sasuke to hand him a beer but saw Sasuke was leaning out the window, very involved in the sock puppet show he was putting on for Naruto in the back seat. Suigetsu decided against asking.

_Ooohoohoooh through the roof, underground,_

Sasuke sat on shore, letting his feet dangle in the water, choosing to ignore the private property sigh in front of him. He watched as Suigetsu held onto Naruto's floatation raff, offering Naruto a bite of the banana he was eating for lunch. He knew Suigetsu was desperate for a bed mate, but he didn't think he would go as far as hitting on a male.

_And as we're crossing border after border,_

Sasuke sung along with the song playing. He hovered over the console, handing Suigetsu the beer they were sharing. Naruto had joined in; singing off key with Sasuke but it was appreciated.

_We realize that difference is none,_

Suigetsu had a finger pushing up both side of his cheeks, forcing a smile on his face. Naruto chuckled, his own cheeks pushed up as well. Sasuke watched them, before attempting to smile in the mirror, before realizing that Naruto was right, and you weren't able to smile in this world.

_It's underdogs who, and if you want it,_

Naruto had a stick of Chap Stick that he had bought at the last store they were at. As Suigetsu hit a speed bump, Naruto loss his handling and the stick feel, being sucked into the black hole beneath the seat.

_You always have to make your own fun,_

Suigetsu glared at his lighter, tapping it again but the flame still wouldn't work. After the third time he had given up, deciding that it was long gone and dropped it under his seat, the sound of the black hole taking it away was enough for him to know it was gone.

_And as the upperdog leisurely sighing,_

Sasuke was driving with Naruto close to him holding the map for Sasuke to see. He lazily had one arm slung over Naruto's back, his hand resting on the passenger seat where Suigetsu was trying nap. As Naruto flipped the map over again and again saying he had no idea where they were, Suigetsu sat up, snatching the map from the blond and throwing it under his seat.

_The local cultures are dying and dying,_

"Hey man," Suigetsu said while handing the new sunglasses he had bought a few stops back to Sasuke. "You need to whip these off for me."

Sasuke held the glasses up, breathing on them and began to whip them with his shirt. His handle on them slipped and he tried to catch the glasses, but failed.

Suigetsu stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "Man, are you doing that intentionally?"

"No, no-"

"Do you hate me?"

"No, it's not my fault they-"

"I just asked you to clean them off. There's a hole I told you. Here take my hat, drop that in the hole." He said angrily throwing the old hat at Sasuke, who caught it.

"No, I'm not going to drop your hat."

"Here's my tobacco, see if that goes down the hole too-"

"Guys! Guys, guys, guys. Please, stop arguing." Naruto begged, sitting up in the back seat, still half dazed with sleep. He pointed over the seat. "Suigetsu, there's a diner, will you stop?"

"Yeah, perfect timing." He said, slowing down and pulling over. "And you," He stated at Sasuke. "You stop touching my stuff."

"You handed me that." Sasuke argued.

"Don't touch my stuff no more."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"Didn't he already talk to his mom today?" Naruto asked, seeing Suigetsu behind the counter talking to his mother with the payphone in the back.

"Yeah, but supposedly that's normal in Russia." Sasuke said.

Naruto took a sip of his coffee, blanching at the taste. "I don't think that's normal anywhere." Sasuke nodded, agreeing with Naruto. The blond got up, "I'm gonna go buy some smokes, want any?" Sasuke just shrugged, figuring either way they would all just share.

Naruto walked behind the counter into the next room, passing Suigetsu on the phone. He stopped when he felt Suigetsu smack his ass, and sighed in annoyance.

He turned around, stalking up to Suigetsu and grabbed the phone, talking right into it. "The next time you grab my ass I'm gonna tell your mom, you asshole." He smacked Suigetsu's cheek lightly. "Okay?"

Suigetsu watched as Naruto went to the little window with a clerk waiting. He apologized to his mother before hanging up. A slight glare on his face as he left.

Naruto continued by picking up a few things before paying. While the clerk was checking his items, Naruto noticed the sign stabled to the wall. 'NO SMOKING' It said in big capital letters. He checked to make sure no one was paying attention before grabbing the sharpie from the counter and scribbling over the sign. 'Unless you want to!'

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"All I'm saying is, neither one of us are gonna score with him." Suigetsu explained.

"I don't know about that." He said, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. "The other night he said he thought you were cute." They had both learned about Naruto's sexuality a few days back, and the young male claims that it had nothing to do with his death, like they had both thought.

"Cute? Cute is what you use to call a puppy." Suigetsu complained. "The only thing worse is good friend, or nice person. In plain English it means 'I'll leach off of you as long as I can, but don't even think of getting in my pants'."

"Y-you may be right about that." Sasuke agreed, just for the sake of not fighting. "But, you might not-"

"We should get rid of him while we still can." Suigetsu cut him off. "Look," He said pointing to the waitress behind the counter. She had her back to them, bending over to write something, in very short cut shorts. "This is what we'll being losing out on."

"Yeah, I don't know." Said Sasuke as he looked away. He wasn't looking to get laid. If that was the case he wouldn't have insisted going cross country to find Karin. "But…the whole people in charge thing is a little weird."

"See," Suigetsu tapped his finger on the counter top hardly. "This is what I'm talking about…" He stopped, looking at the door to the back. Sasuke turned, seeing Naruto standing there, a look of hurt on his face. After a moment of silence, the blond looked away, marching past them and out the front door, being sure to slam it.

"See that's what I'm talking about. He's ease dropping on his friends now."

Sasuke got up from his seat to see out the window behind him. He saw Naruto close their car door before getting the back of another car. Realizing something had to be done, Sasuke ran outside but as soon as the door closed, Naruto was already driving away.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Sasuke watched the dead grassy plain flash by as they sped down the highway. Another one of Suigetsu's songs was playing, but not the one he liked. He didn't want to listen to that song at the moment, or maybe ever again, because Naruto had also liked that song and Naruto had left them. Not that Sasuke could blame him. Back at the diner Suigetsu had made the comment about Naruto ease dropping on friends. Sasuke was sickened at the thought. They weren't friends to Naruto, because friends wouldn't have discussed ditching you for not putting out. Friends would laugh at the idea that you were dead set on just because they found it a little odd.

No, he and Suigetsu couldn't be considered as Naruto's friends. They couldn't even be called nice persons anymore. They were the ones doing the leaching.

They hadn't talked to each other for a while now. And when ever it looked like one of them wanted to say something, Suigetsu would turn the radio up louder. As if that could solve all life's problems. But it was working pretty well so far.

Suddenly, something in the back seat caught his eye. He turned in his seat, reaching back to the seats. "You buy these shades?"

"What shades?"

Sasuke sat back, two pair of orange tint sunglasses in his hand. "Naruto bought us shades man." This was just the icing on the cake to make Sasuke fell like the biggest pile of shit.

He slipped the glasses on, looking out at the slightly orange road.

"That was sweet of him." Suigetsu commented, throwing the shades on. "But it's nice to be on own again, right?" Looking at Sasuke for an answer.

Sasuke stared at him, the look on his face disappointed. "Suigetsu, you know I like you, but you can be an asshole."

"What do you care for?" The other asked back harshly. "We're looking for Karin."

"Yeah, we're looking for Karin."

"Okay then, let's focus on looking for Karin."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

They had stopped off at a small, nearly deserted gas station. Suigetsu went inside to pay, leaving Sasuke outside to pump. He had some trouble, but he got the old rust hose in place, and set it on lock before leaning back and adjusting his glasses.

"Okay, calm down." An all too familiar voice said in the background. He looked around and saw the same bright orange hooded boy, not even ten yards away, being forced into handcuffs and the gas station entrance.

"Please cooperate sir; I'm going to have to arrest you." A long bearded cop said as he forced Naruto's hands behind his back.

"Under what charges?" Naruto cried, trying to slip his hands away, but the officer caught them.

"Breaking that sign was a clear cause of vandalism."

"That's completely retarded."

Sasuke saw the sign beside of them, noticing that the N on the sign was removed; now making the sign read 'O EXIT' rather than 'NO EXIT'.

"I was just trying to make this place a little bit less depressing. What's the big deal with that?" Naruto whined as the cop started pushing him into the back seat of the car. By now Sasuke had started walking on his own. "What the hell is you're problem. You don't need to be doing this-"

"That's - that's my brother." Was the first thing Sasuke could think of once he reached the officer.

"Your brother?" The officer repeated suspiciously, looking back at the blond before slamming the car door closed.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"Well, your brother's been arrested." The cop stated, trying to get past Sasuke, but was stopped.

"Arrested?" He asked loudly. The cop tried to walk past him again but Sasuke grabbed his arm. "Please, can I just talk to you for a moment? He's only been here for a few weeks and…you know. How long have you been here?"

"Sometime."

"Then you remember how it was the first couple of months. I mean, the whole not smiling thing is getting to him and nobodies got any good humor-"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

'NO EXIT' the badly painted sign read, but he didn't have time to look. He ran quickly, no longer worried about being quite, for the sound of gun fire and bombs disguised the sound of his foot steps.

He hid behind a hill of dirt as debris of wood and hard dirt flew over him as a result of an explosion. His other two mates were running into battle, and one of them had tapped his should as a sign to join in, but he stayed frozen. He couldn't live in this world any longer. He was seeing with his own eyes just how fucked up and fearful this world was. He couldn't even smile anymore.

Taking his gun, his placed the barrel in his mouth, staring upwards into his brain, and pulled.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

The officer removed his hat, revealing a large hole where part of his scalp stood up. Sasuke knew by now not to stare, and that everyone here had died in their way and the evidence was still clear, just like the scars on his arms.

"I guess I can turn my head away this one time." The officer said. He opened the door, pulling Naruto out of the car. "Sir, you better watch your behavior." He said, unlocking the handcuffs.

"You bet officer." The blond said, all the time looking up at Sasuke. Once the handcuffs were off and he had his bag back he told Sasuke. "You didn't have to do that." Before walking away.

"Thank you." Sasuke said one last time to the cop before following after the blond. Naruto stood on the side of the road, thumb up and looking for cars passing by. Trying to ignore the older male beside him. "So what? Now you're just going to…" A car drove past, but did not stop. "…Can we still give you a ride?"

"No thanks, I think I'm going the other way."

"…Listen, I'm sorry…about all that back there. We didn't mean that, it's just Suigetsu's venting."

"It's ok," Naruto stated, slipping a stick of gum in his mouth. "Doesn't matter." He said turning away.

Sasuke frowned, watching as another car passed them. "Listen-"

"You should probably go." Naruto cut in. "It's gonna be hard for me to get a ride with you standing there."

Sasuke frowned a little more but Naruto wasn't looking at him. "You're right." He said, taking a step back. "I hope you find what you're looking for. I really do."

He walked back to the car, still parked in front of the gas pump. He got in the passenger seat, finding Suigetsu already at the wheel, smoking.

""Where were you man?" He asked in his heavy accent and started up the car.

"Naruto, he was right back there-"

As the car started moving forward, there was a strange, struggling noise before the car took a little leap. Suigetsu stop the car, throwing it in park and opened the door.

"What the fuck was that." He asked. He looked out the door, seeing the hose from the pump still in the car's gas tank but no longer attached to the pump itself. "Aw, shit man. You didn't take out the nozzle?" He saw a rather big man walking towards their car. He closed the door, turning to Sasuke. "You deal with this guy, I'm not into this."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"Sorry, again."

"Don't worry about it." The gas station employee assured. "It happens all the time. At least twice a week." He placed a little binder on the counter in front of Sasuke, flipping pass a few pages. "Fill that out." He said while handing Sasuke a pen.

Sasuke wrote down his name and address but stopped once he got to the third question. "What does this mean what were you thinking when the accident occurred?"

"Exactly that."

"Oh," Sasuke stared back at the paper, his hands not moving the pen an inch. What was he thinking about? Looking out the window, he saw Naruto, still outside, walking back and forth while pulling his hoodie closer to his body.

He looked away, deciding to read a few of the other papers to get a feel for the answer.

'_Here I am…buried in debt. If pulling the trigger didn't solve my problem then what the hell will?'_

He flipped to the next page.

'_I was wondering if I was too drunk to drive.'_

He flipped again, and noticed the neat, familiar cursive writing. He read it once, then two times, then three.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"But the problem with you is that you don't think it's fucked up to talk shit about me when I'm not there-"

"Oh, I was kidding." Suigetsu interrupted Naruto.

The blond glared stronger. "You were kidding? You didn't know I was listening."

"No, I didn't. But that's ease dropping." He said, removing his glasses and whipping them clean on his shirt. "Ease dropping is what you were doing."

"Whatever." Naruto pulled away, crossing arm and lookin back at the road. "Whatever."

Suigetsu turned away also, seeing Sasuke running towards them. The dark haired man stopped right in between them, pulling out a piece of paper, and making both Naruto and Suigetsu look.

"What this?"

"It's her phone number, Karin's. It's her phone number, address, everything."

'_I spaced out because the guy at pump # 3 looked just like my ex-boyfriend. God – will I ever find him? He feels so close.'_

"I knew she was close. I told you so." Sasuke kept repeating over and over again as the other two read. He didn't know what to feel right now. Happy? He was beyond happy. Excited? That didn't work either. He was so close to finding her and the feeling he got couldn't be explained.

"So what you want to do?" Suigetsu asked. "Want to call her."

"No, let's just drive over there. The guy inside said it's not to far from here." He grabbed Suigetsu's shoulder's, shaking them happily. "Come on man, let's go." He threw arm over the other's shoulder as they walked back to the car.

"You should buy her some flowers at least."

Sasuke stopped, turning around to see Naruto playing the toes of his shoes into the dirt.

"Well, flowers would be nice but did you see the flowers in there?"

"Yeah." Naruto agreed, shoving his hand in his pockets.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Sasuke leaned out the car window hold up the dead flowers. Naruto was leaning out his own window, spraying the flowers with a can of green spray paint. Once most of the flowers were finished he pulled back in, holding them up to Suigetsu.

"They're not too bad I think." Sasuke said, looking at the now green color stems and pedals.

"Yeah." Naruto agreed, leaning over the console and into the front seats of the car. "Karin got some taste."

"No shit." Suigetsu said, turning his eyes back to the road. "Who would have guessed that someone named Karin would like turquoise."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

They pulled into a long dirt driveway, Russian music playing loudly though the open windows. Suigetsu stopped the car in front of a little black painted house and parked. Sasuke took his first step out of the car, and with all his courage, walked up to the house, looking back at his friends for mental support.

Naruto watched as Sasuke got closer to the house and stop in front of the white painted door fixed his hair, and knock. No one answered right a way and Naruto took that time to light his cigarette before handing the lighter back to Suigetsu. Sasuke knocked again.

A man in his late thirties answered and everyone's heart sunk.

"Holly shit." Suigetsu said, watching Sasuke talk to the man.

"Yeah. Doesn't look good."

Sasuke finished talking, turned around and walked back to the car with his shoulders slumped.

"What happened?" Naruto asked as Sasuke got closer.

"She moved."

"Where?" Suigetsu asked.

"He doesn't know?" Sasuke opened the door, throwing the flowers in the back and plopping himself in his seat.

"Any forward address?"

Sasuke shook his head no. "But at least we know we're getting closer, right?"

"Yeah."

"You deserve a drink man." Suigetsu stated, grabbing a beer from the pack next to the console and starting the car.

Once back on the road they decided against the radio, to give Sasuke the change to think. They weren't talking much, having nothing to really talk about.

Naruto looked down at the flowers in his lap, painted an ugly turquoise green. He looked back up to see if Sasuke was paying any attention. When he realized he wasn't, Naruto slowly lowered the flowers from his laps, forcing them under the seat in front of him, and let go.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"He's sleeping." Naruto said, noticing Sasuke had drifted off in the back seat.

"Fucker's always sleeping in the car."

It was getting closer to dusk, and they would be forced to pull over soon. Looking around, there weren't many places to set up camp on the wet, puddle filled ground. It was beginning to look like they would all be sleeping in the car for the night.

"What's this button?" Naruto asked curiously, noticing it for the first time.

"Don't press that-"

Naruto ignored him, reaching over and pressed the button anyways.

Suigetsu stopped talking, looking at the road as it became clearer. "Holy shit. Do you see what I see?"

He pulled the car over, tires shrieking and sand blowing. He threw his door open, running to the front of his car. "In-fucking-credible!" He cheered, waving his hands in front of the working headlights, waking Sasuke up as he did so. Naruto opened his door, about to ask Suigetsu why they had stopped. "Look! Look, look. You are a genius! Amazing!" He cried as he grabbed Naruto, pulling him closer and kissing him deeply, ignoring the fact that Naruto was struggling to get away.

"Okay Suigetsu, take it easy." Naruto said as he pushed the Russian man off of him.

"It's just the headlights." Sasuke said from the car, frowning at his friend's behavior. "It's great, but it's…" He couldn't finish that thought so he decided to just sit back down.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

The car drove down the dark road. Headlights flickering on and off.

"That's beautiful." Suigetsu stated simply. "Do it again."

Naruto pressed the little button, causing the head lights to go off, then pressing it again turning the head lights back on.

"Suigetsu watch out." Naruto suddenly said, spotting a man lying in the middle of the road. Suigetsu turned suddenly, missing the man but driving off the road; totaling their car.

They got out of the car as quickly as they could, checking them selves and each other for injuries. When they agreed they were okay, they circled the man that was still lying on the ground.

"I think he's sleeping." Naruto said trying to get closer but Sasuke put a hand on him to stop him.

Suigetsu got closer, leaning down to hit the guy lightly in the shoulder a few times. "Hey. Hey man. You on drugs or something?" He called, the man finally rolling around and waking up.

The man fought to get to his feet, but once he was, looked at the younger people lazily. "I must have dozed off. I think I slept on my ear wrong. Do I look a symmetrical to you?" he asked, noticing that the group wasn't answering him. "Sorry, my name is Hatake Kakashi." He said, offering his hand. None of them went to shake it. Realizing they weren't about to return his greeting, he lowered his arm. "But don't call me Hatake. My mom used to call me Hatake, and don't get me started. Just call me Kakashi." He suddenly plunged his hand into his coat pocket, pulling out a folded paper, unfolded it and handed the paper to Naruto. "I'm looking for my dog. This is him." He said referring to the picture on the flier.

Sasuke grabbed the flier from Naruto's hands, handing it back to the older man. "You always look for your dog lying in the road?"

"I had to take a break. It's emotional work-"

"Emotional work?" Suigetsu repeated pointing at his car. "You were fucking sleeping in the road!"

"Well, look it's too late to continue looking for Pakkun. Why don't we go to my place?"

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Kakashi led them to a 'camp' as some people decided to call it. It was a place for rent that travelers would stay.

Sasuke ignored the long dulled out story that Kakashi had been telling them in favor of looking around the camp. There wasn't much, one big building surround by little huts and tents. Then he saw it.

"Guys! Suigetsu, Naruto, look at that." He pointed. Naruto looked, seeing an old man sitting in a chair eating beans.

"What?"

"That…that guy was just…floating…in the air."

"Floating?"

"He – he was! He-"

"Don't pay any attention to them. It happens all the time." Kakashi said while leading the group away from the elderly man.

"What happens?" Sasuke asked. "Miracles?"

"Yeah, people floating in the air, turning stones into plants, or changing the color of different objects."

"Fixing the headlights, maybe?" Sasuke asked, looking at Naruto and Suigetsu.

"Headlights?"

"His headlights," He said, pointing at Suigetsu. "Have been broken for ages and she fixed them not too far from here just by pressing a button." He explained.

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded. "Something small and insignificant like that."

A soft, beautiful humming was heard the farther they walked.

"Is that a miracle too?"

"No that's just Sakura," He said, gesturing to a young pink haired woman sitting on a bench, tapping her feet while she hummed. "She a mute, but she does this kind of throat singing. She's hilarious." He walked off to talk to the young women before having Sakura follow him back to the group. "Sakura will show you were you can sleep."

As Kakashi walked off Suigetsu called from over his shoulder. "Better take care of my car man."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Kakashi stood in front of everyone, dressed in suit jacket as he flipped through photos on a projector screen. Sasuke, Naruto, and Suigetsu sat in a small group on the ground. Suigetsu deciding to sit with the mute girl from before.

"Once upon a time, there was a straight tree and a crooked tree." Kakashi said, stopping on a photo that had nothing to do with a tree. "And they grew side by side. "And everyday the straight tree would look at the crooked tree and say, 'You're crooked! You've always been crooked and you'll continue to be crooked.'" Sasuke looked at Naruto, mentally asking if he thought the story was a dumb as he did. Naruto looked back, giving him the same look. "'Look at me, look at me!' said the straight tree. 'I'm tall, and I'm straight.' And then one day the lumberjacks came into the forest and looked around. And the manager in charge said, 'Cut all the straight trees.' And that crooked tree is still here to this day. And that tree is still there today, growing strong and growing strange." Naruto pulled out his cigarettes, striking the match and throwing it into the air after lighting his stick. Sasuke sat in aw as the match floated up in the air and into the sky, staying there like the first stair.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"Just forget about the miracles," Kakashi told Sasuke the next morning as he filled the water hole. "They don't mean a thing."

"Yeah, but everyone at camp can do that but me."

"Just give it a break." He said, turning off the hose.

"But I just really want to do one." Sasuke said sighing. "Just a small one, even if it's stupid."

"Here's the deal," Kakashi said. "As long as you want it so bad; it's not going to happen. The only way it's gonna work, is if it doesn't matter." He turned to Sasuke. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets with a scowl. "I don't know. I guess." He said turning away from Kakashi. "It just doesn't make any seine to me."

"It will," Kakashi assured him.

Sound of a motor could be heard coming from the bottom of the hill they were on. A loud honk is what got their attention.

"Yeah, Kakashi!" Yelled the voice that belonged to Naruto. Kakashi looked over the hills edge to see Naruto sitting in the driver's seat of his little red truck. "Mind it I use your truck because we're out of logs."

"Sure," He said focusing on Naruto. "You look good in it."

"Yeah, I like it." Naruto replied while rubbing the dashboard. "Sasuke," He said suddenly, surprising him. "Want to go on a ride?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Sasuke answered, already heading down the hill. "You're going to be ok Kakashi?" He asked, not really caring what Kakashi's answer was.

"Yeah, go a head." Kakashi said, seeing Sasuke already halfway gone.

Kakashi watched as the two young adults drive off together. A curious look on his face.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

They drove through a little winding dirt path, passing greener grass and small plants.

"It's nice here, right?" Commented Sasuke once seeing the more lively plants.

"Yeah," Naruto responded, looking at Sasuke sitting beside him. "You ever miss the things you had before you off?"

"I don't know. I don't really remember much." He said, taking a stick of gum from Naruto and chewing it. "I think the only thing I missed was Karin, and now that she's here, it's all I can think about."

"I miss everything." Naruto said. "I miss my friends, I miss my dog, I miss my family, my house, everything. I even miss the things I hated at this point."

Sasuke watched as Naruto ranted on and on, thinking about his words. "It's weird, I had this dream the other night that I woke up in the hospital because my suicide didn't work. While I was their, I just kind of miss this."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

"He's teaching her how to open a beer with a lighter." Naruto said pointing down the cliff at Suigetsu and Sakura, who were sitting at a shore of a little pound.

"She doesn't even drink." Sasuke said shocked, nudging Naruto in the shoulder. "Let me see."

Naruto handed him the binoculars that were still draped over his neck, forcing Sasuke to lie closer.

"You see?"

"Yeah, I see." He handed Naruto back the binoculars as Suigetsu helped Sakura pop the beer bottle top. "Yesterday he was trying to teach her the basketball players' names and positions. She had no clue what he was saying."

"The secret is that's she's from way to far away to pick up on his character."

"And half her family off, just like his." Sasuke raised his hand, signaling it was hiss turn to spy.

"I know, but she doesn't live with them." Naruto finished watching Suigetsu doing so sort of dance and handed the binoculars off.

"Holy shit, he caught a fish." Sasuke said, leaning a little closer to Naruto until they were shoulder to shoulder. "I can't believe it he's doing it."

"What?"

"The fish, he's changing its color." He said giving the binoculars to Naruto. The fish in Suigetsu's hand was changing from green to blue to purple to red, just by hold it.

"When are you gonna stop being obsessed with those stupid little miracles?" Naruto whined, standing up and walking back to the truck.

"I don't know." Sasuke said, following after Naruto while rolling his eyes. "When you stop being obsessed with all that people in charge shit."

"That not the same." Naruto shot back.

"Oh I'm sorry, 'cause you're here on accident. I just don't see how you can possibly-"

"Okay, listen you little jerk." Naruto cut in, looking right at Sasuke. "I didn't kill myself…I just OD."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

'_He's a monster man,'_

The radio was playing loudly mid day in an empty parking lot.

'_She's fallen in love with a monster man,'_

A young man sat back in his seat, looking as if he was sleeping.

'_She's fallen in love with a monster man,'_

A belt was tight around his arm and one hand held still held an empty needle at his wrist.

'_Monster man,'_

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

The door was kicked off its hinges roughly and a moment later Suigetsu was running through. He signaled for Naruto and Sasuke to follow him, all three of them blending in well in the dark of night in their blue jumpsuits. Staying low and quite, Suigetsu led them to the chain linked, barbed wire fence. He cut the barb off with wire cutters, muttering a soft "shit," repeatedly.

The two of them help boast Suigetsu up and he successfully got over the fence. Sasuke then took the liberty of boasting Naruto over the fence and to safety.

Just then the spot light shot him, and alarms were going off.

Sasuke panicked, trying to jump up and garb the fence but wasn't able to reach.

"Sasuke, hurry!" He could hear Naruto calling but there was no way out.

"Hey Sasuke," A familiar voice called from above him. Sasuke looked up, seeing Kakashi hovering in the air about him. "Float on up, we gotta go."

"Float?" Sasuke asked, jumping and hoping to stay up. "I – I can't."

"You gonna spend the rest of your life down there?"

"No!"

"You gotta float, they're gonna be here in a second." Kakashi said, pointing at the lights coming closer. Kakashi put on a superhero pose as he floated over the fence, leaving Sasuke on the inside.

"Wait!" He called, jumping to grab the fence. There was still no luck.

"Sasuke?"

He turned to see his parents, flashlights in hand, staring at him.

"Mom? Dad? What are you doing here-"

"Where have you been all this time?" His mother asked. "Why haven't you called us?"

Sasuke again panicked, and fell.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y .**

Sasuke jumped awake. It took him a minute to remember where he was but once he heard the soft throat singing of Sakura's he realized he was back at camp, and that it had been a dream.

Following the rhythm tic sound, he saw Suigetsu and Sakura, outside the window, sitting close to one another beside the fire. Sakura singing while Suigetsu made music by blowing into an empty jug. They looked content.

Sasuke sighed, lying back down on bed as he watched the two. Seeing them was calming and for the time being, would distract him from the dream – nightmare – he had just had. But at the same time, watching them was troubling.

"Sasuke?" A soft voice asked above him. It was Naruto, he knew. Naruto was sleeping in the bunk above him.

Rolling in bed to look away from the happy couple, Sasuke laid on his back, looking up at the bunk above him. "You're awake?"

"I've been thinking," Naruto started, rolling to the edge of his bunk to look at Sasuke. "If I'm gonna find the people in charge, then I have to keep looking. I'm not gonna find them here." He finished sadly, seeing Sasuke unable to keep eye contact with him. "You know?"

"Yeah," Sasuke drifted back his side, no longer staring at Naruto or any other campers, but just the air in front of him. "I think you're right." He admitted unwittingly. "I think I'm going to find Karin, I have to start looking elsewhere too."

Naruto nodded, not caring if Sasuke could see him or not. He looked outside at the fire and the couple that was sitting around it. "We can't wait on Suigetsu forever."

"Yeah, I know."

Sasuke closed his eyes, hearing Naruto moving around above him. He listened to the sound of Sakura's throat singing, letting it soothe his mind and work as a lullaby as he drifted back to sleep.

Outside the camp, buy the fire, Suigetsu dialed his mother on one of the camps old phones. He held it up to Sakura as she sung, allowing his family to hear her melodic song.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

The snow, cold and hard from age, lied on the Earth's surface. It had stopped snowing somewhere about an hour ago, but was so accumulated in this cold, untouched land, that the snow never melted. Rather, it packed together tightly and froze.

Scanning the snow, a glimpse of something pale could be seen. It wasn't easy to see, but once your eye signaled in on it, it stuck out against the pure white ground. Following the sliver of pale, it led to lumps in the snow, and more pale slits of skin that formed together to build a human.

A girl, frozen and dead, lied peacefully in the snow, uncaring of the white flakes that gathered in here short pink hair.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

"I found her!"

Sasuke awoke with a jump, eyes snapping open quickly as the yells got louder.

"I found it! I found Kakashi's dog! I found Pa Pakkun!"

Suigetsu and Sakura were startled out of their song as Asuma ran towards them, out of breath.

"Asuma, what happen to you?" Suigetsu asked, holding Sakura's hand in his protectively. Sasuke came up behind him, joining the small crowd that was about to start. Next were Naruto, Kakashi, and then a few others that were sleeping close by.

"I saw the king that lives on the other side. He has Kakashi's dog held captive."

"What?" Kakashi asked angrily, pushing his way to the front.

Asuma ignored him, continuing his first thought. "And there were so many people there, hundreds. To witness the miracle he's going to perform tomorrow."

"Pakkun is performing miracles?" Kakashi asked, confused.

"No the king." Asuma corrected. "But not like our miracles, but a planned, specific miracle." He ended panting.

Naruto walked up to Asuma, handing him a glass of water.

"How about Pakkun?" Kakashi asked. Asuma held a finger up, silently informing Kakashi to wait while he drank. "What about Pakkun?" He asked again, getting the same answer. "Asuma! Is Pakkun alright?"

Asuma finished his water, giving out a long, relieved sigh. "Pakkun is fine." He said simply. "They feed him T-bone stake and he refuses to come back."

"Pakkun has been brain washed." Kakashi said to himself. He turned his sharp eyes to Asuma. "You're going to drive me there now."

"I only know how to get their on foot."

Sasuke turned to Naruto, jerking his head towards Asuma as if to say 'you hear that'. Naruto nodded back, knowing full well what Sasuke had planned.

"Fine, we'll leave in the morning."

"Do you mind if Sasuke and I tag along with you?" Naruto asked stepping out of the crowd.

"You guys want to see the miracle he's going to perform?" Suigetsu asked curiously.

"Yeah, I want to go." Naruto answered, not looking at Suigetsu.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

They walked up the steep hill, a small clear path leading the way through the tall unkempt grass. Asuma leading the way. They had been walking since the sun came up and still seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

"Asuma, are you sure we're going the right way." Sasuke asked as the past another cluster of dead trees. "We've been walking for close to six hours now."

"We should be there soon. I…think."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

It was dark now, and the four were forced to sleep out for the night. They were hours away from camp, and had no luck in finding the house of the king.

"I don't know what happened." Asuma muttered repeatedly from where he lied by the fire. "I was sure we find it before dark."

"I think it's a good sign." Kakashi said assuring. "I mean, you got lost last time."

"You're right. That's a really good sign."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

In the near distance Sasuke and Naruto were collecting fire wood. They were only about ten or so yards away. Too far to hear any conversations that the older men were having but close enough to have the light of the fire. Which was needed since there were no stairs in the land.

"I hope we just find our way back to camp." Sasuke grumbled. He was worried. They were lost and no one knew which way they were headed. The likelihoods of someone from camp ever coming to find them was slim and that was only if someone was smart enough to realize they had gotten lost.

"That would be nice." Naruto sighed, piling on another piece of wood in the stack he held in his arm.

"We have no clue where we are, and we've been walking for twelve hours." Sasuke continued, knowing that Naruto wasn't listening. "I don't even know how fast we were going and-"

"Shh!" Naruto held his hand up silencing Sasuke. Sasuke frowned, not hearing anything and walked closer to Naruto, stepping on wood and tall grass. "Shh!"

"What-"

"Listen, do you hear that?"

Sasuke closed his mouths and focused in on were Naruto was staring. He could hear something, loud and moving.

"Yeah, I do. It sounds like a…"

Naruto dropped the sticks he had collected, running off towards the noise. Following his example, Sasuke forgot the log in the hand and caught up with Naruto.

They slowed to walk as they reached a foot tall cliff, seeing water crashing on the surface of a beach.

"Let's go," Sasuke said, jumping off the small land and leading the way for Naruto to follow. He grasped Naruto's hand to assure that Naruto wouldn't trip behind him. "Funny, no one at camp mentioned the beach being so close."

"Maybe they don't know." Naruto though hopefully. "Maybe we're the only one's that do know."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Naruto held onto Sasuke's arm tightly as the brunette led them over a surface of uneven rocks. It was dark, but not as dark as it had been in the camp they had set up for the night. the ocean seemed able to reflect them some light.

"Hi!" Naruto said suddenly, making Sasuke stare at him.

"Hi," He said back. As the land got a little flatter Naruto released his grip, walking to the water. "Remember the other day when you were talking about the thing's you missed?" Sasuke asked, following Naruto with his hands in his pockets. "How you said you wanted to back and that I didn't miss anything."

"Yeah," Naruto answered, plopping himself in the sand and immediately started playing his fingers through it.

Sasuke sat beside him, taking a stick and using it to draw in the sand next to Naruto. "When I'm here with you," Sasuke started again, looking down at the smiley faces that they had drawn. "I king of miss my self, the way I used to be." He stood, Naruto naturally following him to the edge of the sand, letting water splash their feet.

"What were you like?"

"I was happy at the time. Obviously before I off." He said, bending down to collect a hand full of pebbles, and then attempted to skip one through the water. "But when I came here, and met you, I just…you know. It's weird to me that you can feel that in a place like this." He said, sitting back down. Naruto sat close to him, close enough that they were touching. "We're…we're all dead."

Naruto snapped his gum, realizing that Sasuke was finished. "You know, most people I knew before I got here were either half dead or already dead to begin with. Completely dead. And…you're doing pretty good Sasuke."

Naruto looked out at the ocean, watching the water crash softly into rocks and sand. Sasuke though, was watching Naruto. Watching how the blue in his eyes were so bright that they defeated the ocean only feet away. Staring at his still tanned skin and couldn't help but wonder how much it shone when he was alive. His short blond hair that moved with the wind. The faint little scares on his cheeks that have been there for years. Naruto was more breath taking than the water in front of them. A hundred times more beautiful in Sasuke's mind. When Naruto looked back at Sasuke, he was shocked. Sasuke had grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Deep and passionate. Naruto closed his eyes, kissing back with just as much enthusiasm. One of his hands found its way up to Sasuke's neck, pulling the boy closer.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Kakashi looked down at the beach, seeing Naruto and Sasuke fast asleep. They we both on their sides, Sasuke spooning up against Naruto's back, holding the blond protectively. The sight was charming, if you didn't take your eyes off of just them.

"Sasuke! Naruto!" He yelled, voice echoing slightly. "Get up!"

Sasuke's eye's fluttered and he lifted his head to find the noise that was waking him up. The sun was up and it was about mid morning. He noticed Kakashi walking towards them and when he looked back at Naruto, he wanted to blench.

"Shit, Naruto get up!" He said, shaking Naruto awake.

"Oh god!" Naruto yelled, rushing to his feet as he stared at the ground. Dirty used condoms and needles. Everywhere.

"There you are." Kakashi said sarcastically as he walked over the rocks towards them. "We've been worried sick about you."

Sasuke ignored him, in favor of focusing on Naruto. "Careful, careful," He repeated, grabbing Naruto's hands and moving him onto the rock. "Don't step on them, put your shoes on."

"I hope you didn't sleep here." Kakashi said glaring at the disgusting ground.

"Well yeah." Sasuke said obviously, motioning at the ground where Kakashi had found them.

"This is where drug users and prostitutes come. And it was too revolting for them. Now, can we get out of here?"

"Yes!" Sasuke said taking Naruto's hand. "Careful." He muttered again, scared of Naruto getting hurt of clutching something from the disease infested ground.

"I just hope Asuma isn't lost." Kakashi complained.

Sasuke rolled his eye. "Asuma is already lost."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

"Asuma!" Naruto yelled, his voice echoing through the empty valley.

"Asuma!" Sasuke all but screamed, getting tired of looking.

A long high pitched whistle got all the attentions.

"Asuma!" Sasuke tried again, facing the direction he thought the whistle came from. He was answered again. "We're never going to find him-"

"I found it!" Asuma yelled, running down the hill. "I found it!" he said again, waving. "It's right over the hill. With music, and drinks, and dancing girls." He starting walking, the other three forced to follow quickly.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

They ended up in a crowd of people, talking, eating, and even a few dancing to the music that the large castle like building was playing. Sasuke stuck close to Naruto, afraid he would lose the blond in such a thick thong of people.

"Excuse me," Naruto stopped two older women, interrupting their conversation. "Who is in charge here?"

"The king of course." One of the women answered, looking at them as if they were stupid. "Can you believe how privileged we are?"

"Why is that?"

"Because of the miracle." Naruto nodded, silently encouraging the woman to continue. "He's going to separate his body from his sole."

"We're actually just looking for our dog." Sasuke said, eating some crackers on the table in front of them.

Asuma ran up behind them, tapping Sasuke's shoulder. "I think you guys better see this."

"Why," Sasuke asked, worried. "What's going on?"

"Kakashi's with the king and he's raising hell."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

A little brown pug sat at the feet of the chair, eating well cooked stake from a sliver plate.

"That dog came to me and begged to be apart of this." A man with pale skin and long black hair said, playing absently with a dagger in his hands.

"Well, that's my dog." Kakashi told him defensively.

"No you don't own this dog."

"You kidnapped him!" Kakashi said angrily, rolling his sleeves up his arms.

"That's some very serious charges, my friend." The other man glared.

The door to the room opened and Asuma came in, followed by Sasuke and Naruto, but they were stopped before they could get to close.

"The king is in a meeting." The man who stopped them, large and muscular, with intimidating look.

"That's our friend." Asuma fought back, trying to get around but was stopped again.

Sasuke looked over the man's shoulder, seeing Kakashi throw salt at the 'king', the red haired woman beside him moving out of the way. He froze, staring at the familiar hair style and black, thick rimmed glasses the girl wore. Suddenly, she looked up, catching eyes with Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" She asked unbelievably.

"Karin." He walked past the guard, who didn't bother to stop him.

"My god!" Karin yelled, throwing her arms around Sasuke and pulling him into a tight hug. He hugged her back. "Oh my god! I can't believe it's you!" She pulled away, grabbing Sasuke's face as she started at him. "You look absolutely the same."

"W-well, almost. B-b-but YOU!" Sasuke stammered, looking Karin up and down. "You l-look exactly the same. I mean, y-your hair-"

"I know." Karin cut him off, running a hand through her hair. "You always liked this hair cut. I remember. I remembered! How are you Sasuke?"

Naruto looked away, his face void of any emotion as Sasuke and his ex-girlfriend talked. He couldn't help but feel a little hurt by this, but he knew that finding Karin was Sasuke's plan from the get go.

"Can we please get on with the dog?" Kakashi interrupted.

"Yeah," The king said, putting away his dagger. "Let's deal with the dog." He muttered, as Karin led Sasuke out of the room. Sasuke looked back, finding Naruto who mouthed a 'go' to him.

"Don't do that you're confusing the dog." Kakashi complained as the king held a treat in front of Pakkun's face, making little cooing noises. Kakashi himself was wagging a dog toy around, trying to get Pakkun's attention back.

"Come on Pakkun." Kakashi begged, waving the toy as he tried to get closer to his dog. Unbelievably, Pakkun growled at him.

"The dog has spoken." The king said. "I'm tired and I need to concentrate. It's going to be a hell of a show."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Karin had brought Sasuke to one of the tower tops, and he was able to see the whole crowd. He could see everyone waiting impatiently, wanting to witness the miracle that was to come.

"And then after you off, I just cried and cried." Karin said, looking Sasuke in the eye sadly. "And I had to leave town 'cause everything reminded me of you." Sasuke didn't answer. He didn't know how to answer. As much as Sasuke hated to admit it, he was confused. Karin's hand slid up his chest and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Trust me; I never knew how much I loved you, until you were gone."

Suddenly, Sasuke was pulled into another hug, and as if it was routine, but unlike Karin, he didn't embrace her tightly, rather just having his hands hang on her shoulders. He could see the crowd over Karin's shoulder and like a magnet, Sasuke's eyes instantly pinpointed Naruto out of the mob. He was walking around aimlessly, observing people holding signs or eating.

Karin pulled away, kissing his cheek.

"King. King, he was a real friend." She said earnestly. "He got me out of town, and I became more and more interested in his teaching. And he made me stop crying." She said with the closes thing to a smile she could master. "Then, king was showing everyone how he was going to separate his sole from his body, to find the new world, and he was going to come back and tell everyone. Because you know, he believes we're all trapped in the world of the living." She said intensely, but Sasuke wasn't listening. Sasuke was staring out at the crowd again. Again, his eyes were on Naruto, leaving everything Karin was saying unnoticed.

There Naruto was, sitting on a metal fold out chair, one leg crossed over the other. On the back of the chair was piece of ply wood with 'SAVE US KING' written in purple paint. Sasuke stared at Naruto, wishing he could smile at his little habit, as Naruto snatched a marker from the table next to him and carefully placed an 'H' after the 'S' on the sign, successfully making it read 'SHAVE US KING'.

"…And his sole never made it back." Sasuke was brought out of thoughts when Karin began petting his chin. "So while I was the hospital, and they confirmed his death, I heard is sole calling me. And I knew, I just knew I had to be with him." Sasuke frowned, but Karin didn't notice, too engrained in her story. He didn't know how to feel. Upset, angry…relieved. He looked back to the chair Naruto was sitting in, now finding it empty save for the vandalized sign. "So I took the elevator to the hospital roof, and flew." Karin closed her eyes, raising her hands in the air and breathed. Sasuke followed her hands up, staring at the sky. He could almost see Karin, falling to her death with a smile on her face. A smile for the king, not for him.

Sasuke shut his eyes and stumbled, dizzy. Karin was quick to grab his arms and still him.

"Sasuke-" She started but was interrupted by a loud gong. He looked over at the guard who had stopped them earlier, hitting a hanging metal plate with a rubber club, emitting the loud sound. Everyone else on the ground froze, looking up in aw.

It was obvious what was about to happen.

"Oh god," Karin whispered. "Time flies with you Sasuke. Let's go, the king's about to begin and this time, I _know_ he's going to make it."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Sasuke walked outside, standing at the door until he saw someone he recognized. After scanning the crowd, Sasuke noticed Kakashi. Walking up to the older man, he saw him holding a happy Pakkun in his arms.

"Forgive and forget, huh?"

"No, they forgive," Kakashi said scratching the dog behind his ear. "But they don't forget." Looking around Kakashi thought allowed. "What keeps happening to Asuma?"

"Is he with Naruto?"

"Last time I saw him, he was with that big guy up there about going home, and people in charge. The usual."

"W-what did he tell her?"

"He said 'I'm taking you all to a better place', asshole."

The bung rung again, making Sasuke and Kakashi look up. There he was, the king dresses in robes, with Karin by his side. The people in the crowd raised their arms to him.

"_Don't be alarmed friends."_ He said into a microphone. _"The vessel will die soon."_ Sasuke let his eyes wonder, like always, finding Naruto, sitting lazily on a low wooden roof above a table. _"And the spirit will rise."_ Naruto noticed him, and waved. _"The first time was only a test." _Naruto was waving his arms and mouthing something, something he couldn't make out. _"A precursor to the real thing."_

"Why don't you just tell him?" Kakashi asked with a knowing look.

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him you love him." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"_Don't be afraid when I leave."_

"You do, don't you?" Kakashi asked, noticing that Sasuke was still watching Naruto.

"_For I will be back for you all."_

"It's too far. He won't hear." Sasuke said lamely. Kakashi looked over at Naruto, he may have been a little ways but he should have been able to hear them if they yelled. The look he gave Sasuke said just that too.

Suddenly the drum roll started and Sasuke was back to staring at the king. He was holding a dagger, one that Karin had just handed him. The king held it up for everyone to see.

"What is doing?" Kakashi asked, frowning. Sasuke didn't know how to answer. The king held the knife to his heart. "He's bluffing." He said, staring at Sasuke like he wanted to laugh. "No one does that twice. You know how much it hurts."

Then suddenly, the king pushed, the dagger going through his chest. You could even hear the blade enter his body and stab his heart. He stumbled a little, before falling to his knees. Karin bent down beside him, pulling the knife out of his chest and holding it up for all to see. The king gasped, hands over the bleeding hole in his chest.

"Oh my god." Sasuke said as people around him awed, gasped, and murmured.

Kakashi looked away, pulling a little sliver thing out of his pocket and muttering something into it. "Come right now, this son of a bitch is crazy." Sasuke heard him say.

The king fell, dying as Karin reached out for him, as if he was going to be ok. Then for the briefest of a second, the sun was blocked.

"_Look everybody! Their he is!" _Karin cried in the microphone, and pointed up in the sky where a man was descending on a parachute. Everyone looked up, stunned. _"He's coming! He's coming! He's – they're coming?"_

Two other parachutes joined the first. Sasuke turned to Kakashi to ask what was happening, but found him gone. Then, men dressed in white landed on the ground, yelling orders for people to go home. Before anyone was able o react white busses and cars arrived. They were shooing people away stating they were the 'A.I.C.E'.

"_Please disburse immediately." _One of them asked over the microphone they had taken from Karin, as two other men in white carried away the king.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke turning around when he felt someone grabbed him to find Asuma. "Where's Naruto?"

"I don't know." Sasuke said looking around frantically. "I don't know what's going on."

Then he caught sight of Naruto's back, the blond talking to one of the men in the white vans.

"Where's Kakashi?" Asuma asked, lost.

"I don't know," Sasuke called, walking away. "I'll be right back."

As he got closer to the car, he could see people being led into the back, Karin being on of them. At the rear door of the car was Kakashi, dressed in white while motioning for people to bring others. As mush as his should have interested Sasuke, it didn't hold a candle to Naruto, now sitting in the passenger seat of the white car.

He caught up to the cars just as they were driving off. Naruto was at the window, calling his name through the glass.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Wait, ok? I'll be back in five minutes!"

He nodded, giving a half hearted wave as Naruto rode off.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

It was dusk now, and everyone was gone but Sasuke. He had waited, like Naruto had asked of him. But it had been more then five minutes. It's been a few hours now, and the sun was beginning to set. But Sasuke would sit and wait, because Naruto was going to come back.

…

Eventually.

Slowly but surely, headlight started coming his way. The closer the car got though, he realized it wasn't the car Naruto had driven off in, but Suigetsu's crapper car.

He stood when the car parked in front of him. Not so surprisingly, Sakura was resident in the front seat.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sasuke asked as Suigetsu opened the door, leaning over the frame.

Suigetsu shrugged. "We're here to pick you up man."

"Did Naruto tell you what happened?"

"No," Suigetsu shook his head sadly. "Asuma did."

Sasuke froze. "So, Naruto didn't go back with them?"

"No."

Sasuke frowned. "Did he mention anything about him?" He asked hopefully, but that hope died when Suigetsu again shook his head no.

"Not to me."

"Then I have to wait here for him." He said stubbornly.

"How long are you gonna wait man?" Suigetsu asked, looking around the abandon castle. "He's an adult. He can find his way back."

A high yelp came from the front seat and Sasuke looked in the window to see Pakkun sitting in Sakura's lap happily. Sakura was staring at him, jerking her head to the back seat as a sign to get in.

Sighing Sasuke said the first thing that came to mind. "What is Pakkun doing here?"

"Get in the car dickhead." Suigetsu bit out frustrated, hitting the car door to prove his point. "We got a train to make." He jerked his head to the back before sitting back down, slamming the door closed.

"Train-"

"Get in!"

Sasuke sighed, opening the back door and getting in.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

The three sat on the side of the train tracks around a small table, sharing a bottle cider. They clunk their glasses together, downing the small, mismatch cups. Sakura was still holding Pakkun, her and Suigetsu petting him every few minutes.

"So, Kakashi never did really kill himself." Sasuke asked, but it came off more as a statement.

"No, of course not." Suigetsu said as he rubbed the god. "He's working for the people in charge. Undercover."

"I always had a feeling he was an angel or something."

"An angel? Come on." Suigetsu said with two raised brows. Sighing he continued. "Now that Kakashi blew his cover, he's being transferred out of the undercover unit."

"Transferred? Where's he going?"

"I don't know how it works…" Suigetsu drifted off as lights head their way.

Quickly, Suigetsu got up, collecting the few bags they had. Sakura got up as well, keeping a tight hold on the leash to keep Pakkun from running off. The 'train' pulled up, which really was just a two seat cart.

Walking Suigetsu to the cart, Sasuke tried to finish their conversation. "So the camp is over."

"Turns out Kakashi was running it illegally. And on A.I.C.E. property non the less." Suigetsu packed his bags in the cart. "So, what you gonna do?"

"I don't know." Sasuke said handing Suigetsu one of his suit cases before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm defiantly going to go back to camp and wait for Naruto, but after that I guess I'll see."

"You'll see." Suigetsu said sadly, taking a cigarette out of his pocket and placing it between his lips. "I didn't want to tell you this but according to Asuma, in the middle of the hassle, Naruto talk to one A.I.C.E. guys and asked the to check his file." He lit up. "I know it sounds crazy but, turns out there really was some kind of mistake. Looks like they'll be sending him back to life."

Sasuke stated quite, but the dread that fell over them couldn't go unnoticed. What was there to say? Its okay Sasuke, you'll be fine? He wasn't fine. This wasn't fine.

"It's better this way." Suigetsu tried to make things. "At least now he's happy, right?"

"I guess," Sasuke agreed. "It's what he wanted so…"

Nodding, Suigetsu dug his keys out of his pocket, placing the in Sasuke's palm. "Take care."

The conductor blew a whistle, signaling it was time for the train to take off. Sakura gave Sasuke a little hug goodbye before boarding. Suigetsu stared up at Sasuke, looking like he was trying not to cry. Sasuke couldn't blame him. They were the first friends they had found here, and now they were saying goodbye. Suigetsu sucked up his pride and pulled Sasuke into a tight, hug, which Sasuke returned more then willingly.

"See ya man?" Suigetsu said boarding the train. "And don't forget to give that package to my folks."

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

_They went to the North Pole or wherever it is that Sakura is from._

_He wanted to meet her family and get into that throat singing._

_Saw playing and weird interments and stuff. _

_It's good that he's back into music I think._

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Sasuke collected his bag from the abandoned camp sight. Yellow tape was up, with 'keep out' signs on them. He threw his bag in the back of Suigetsu's – his car. Looking around Sasuke felt even more depressed. This camp, as run down and broken as it was, was always filled with life, laughter, and family. It had become a home that was now destroyed. I was lonely.

A white sign on a metal pole is what set him off though. A sign, Naruto's favorite thing to vandalize. Right then, Sasuke hated that sign. It was another reminder that Naruto was gone, and that he would never see him again.

Growling in anger, Sasuke kicked the pole as hard as he could, sending it and the sign over and falling to the ground. Still not satisfied Sasuke ripped one of the yellow tapes and warning signs away before rubbing both hands through his hair, trying to calm down.

On a table he found a cigarette and a box of matches that were left behind in haste. Having nothing better to do and needing something to relieve his stress, he decided to smoke it. He struck the match, lit his stick and threw the match away.

But the match did not fall. It floated higher and higher into the dark night sky, becoming the second star, next to the one Naruto had put their before.

Sasuke stared up at it sadly. His first miracle.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

_And me?_

_I think I finally understand what Kakashi was trying to say._

_It only happens if it doesn't matter._

_Comes without effort._

_Maybe Suigetsu's right._

_Maybe I only get stuck on girls I don't have a change of being with._

_I am glade for Naruto though. _

_I hope he got his whole visa all straightened out._

_He did say he be right back._

_Then again, Suigetsu's old wisdom…_

_When a girl says she'll be right back, they never do come back. _

_So, I don't know. I'll figure it out. _

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

Sasuke found Suigetsu's tape and put it in the little radio. His dubbed favorite song playing as he drove.

He had no destination this time. He wasn't searching for someone or helping another. He was alone, with no reason to drive other than get home to deliver a package that Suigetsu could have mailed.

He was grateful for the radio. It made him feel less lonely in the empty car.

He drove for miles, replaying his favorite song again and again.

After hours of driving, he came to a stop at a railroad track. The bell was ringing, warning that a train was about to pass by and that cars would have to wait. It didn't matter though. He was the only car on the road.

Suddenly, Suigetsu's recorded voice jumped before slowing to a stop.

Sasuke put the radio in his lap and pressed the button to open the caste tape player. He took the tape out to check it but it was only in his hand for a second before he lost his hold and it fell under the passenger seat. He felt around, hoping it wouldn't have fallen into the hole. When he couldn't find it he changed his tactic. He reached over the seat, to the leaver on the other side and lifted, causing the seat to slide back.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

A storage room, nice and organized, with boxes labeled properly as men in white worked.

Kakashi carefully skimmed through one of the boxes, looking for a file that he knew he wasn't assigned to be looking for, but his heart told him to anyways.

Pulling the file he was looking for out of the box, he placed it under his white coat, walking away before anyone could see him.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

When Suigetsu had first told him that there was a black hole under the seat, Sasuke hadn't believed him. Of course, after seeing an uncountable amount of items disappear each day, his doubt had gone with them.

In all honesty, he had never expected to see those missing things again. They were lost forever and that was that.

But now, falling down the black hole himself, Sasuke recognized many of the fallen victims.

Suigetsu's sunglasses that he had dropped.

The dead flowers that Naruto thought no one had noticed.

Caste tapes, lipstick, and the map.

All of it.

Falling down a black hole was different then he ever expected it to be.

He let himself be pulled, tumbling down the whole until he was encased in white lights.

**. A -.- L -.- O -.- V -.- E -.- S -.- T -.- O -.- R -.- Y**

"Sasuke, you are one lucky son of a bitch. You must know people in high places, huh?"

He opened his eye, shaking. A bright, bleary light was above him and after letting his eyes adjust for a moment, he made it out to be a florescent ceiling light on a spotted white ceiling.

He heard the buzzing of monitors and with the little strength he had, raised his arms to look at his battered wrist, bandaged and healing. Laying his arms back down he turned his head to the opened door, seeing his parents discussing something with a doctor.

He let out a shaking breath when it hit him. He was alive again. He didn't know how but he was.

He looked around his room, seeing his roommate was in the bed on the other side of the door, tubes in their tan skin, and messy blond hair in every which way. Then, the head turned to face him.

Naruto.

The blond looked just as surprised to see him as Sasuke did to see Naruto. He almost wasn't sure if it was real. But then suddenly, Naruto did something Sasuke had yet been able to see the blond do.

He smiled.

He smiled the biggest, goofiest grin Sasuke had even seen in his life and knew right then and there that yes, he was alive and with Naruto.

And for the first time in what felt like months, Sasuke was able to smile back.

* * *

><p><strong>The song that has been playing is a real song. It has become one of my favorite songs in fact. Its 'Through The Roof &amp; Underground' by Gogol Bordello. <strong>

**Please Review, even though I didn't do much, it will make me feel good.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wristcutters: A Love Story<em>**


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